Holiday Help for Your Blood Sugar

How did it go over Thanksgiving weekend? Did you overeat a little? Hey, it’s a holiday… no one can blame you for not following the glycemic load chart too closely.

If you didn’t pay too much attention to your blood sugar, here are some herbs and minerals I use in my practice that naturally improve your body’s response to insulin. They’re completely safe and keep your blood sugar in check.

These are my favorite nutrients you can use right away to help control your blood sugar:

Gymnema Sylvestre: For more than 2,000 years, people in India have used the herb gymnema sylvestre to help control blood sugar. In fact, the leaves of this climbing plant are prized by practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine, the holistic system of healing.

The herb is also called “gumar,” which literally means “destroyer of sugar” in Hindi. This name describes the way that chewing the leaves interferes with your ability to taste sweetness. Because this amazing herb decreases the sensation of sweetness in many foods, it may reduce your cravings for sugary snacks.

In one study, patients who took 400 mg of gymnema sylvestre extract daily for 18 to 20 months along with their oral medications showed a significant reduction in their fasting blood-sugar levels.(1)

Chromium: Another weapon in nature’s arsenal of sugar fighters is the mineral chromium. Chromium aids in digestion and helps move blood glucose from the bloodstream into the cells for energy. It also helps turn fats, carbohydrates and proteins into energy.

What’s more, chromium is critical for healthy insulin function. Without enough chromium in your body, insulin just doesn’t work properly.

Chromium exists in many foods including brewer’s yeast, meats, potatoes (especially in the skin), cheeses, molasses, whole-grain breads and cereals, and fresh fruits and vegetables.

Despite the wide availability of chromium from food sources, research shows that 90 percent of American adults have a chromium-deficient diet. This could be a key reason why an increasing number of Americans suffer blood-sugar problems.

Scientists at the Maryland-based Human Nutrition Research Center were studying the effects of common foods on blood sugar. They found that when patients ate apple pie, their blood-sugar levels actually improved.

Further investigation revealed it was the cinnamon in the apple pie that helped their blood-sugar levels. Researchers discovered that cinnamon increases your glucose metabolism. It contains a compound called methylhydroxy chalcone polymer, or MHCP for short, that works with insulin to help process glucose.

In fact, a laboratory test conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture showed MHCP increased glucose metabolism by roughly 20 times.

People who control their blood sugar with cinnamon use around half a teaspoon before meals.

Banaba Leaf Extract: Traditionally, people living in the Philippines, South Asia and India have brewed a banaba leaf tea to help regulate blood sugar.

Medical scientists believe that banaba leaf’s beneficial effects on blood sugar are due to its high concentration of corosolic acid, a natural compound extracted from its leaves. Corosolic acid mimics insulin by moving sugar out of your bloodstream and into your cells. And numerous scientific studies have proven banaba leaf’s effectiveness.

In another study, patients with blood-sugar concerns took a supplement containing banaba leaf or a placebo three times a day for four weeks. The placebo group had no change, but the banaba-leaf group achieved very good results for blood-sugar balancing.(2)

A dose of no more than 50 mg of banaba leaf extract with 1-2 percent corosolic acid will help you control your blood sugar.

Fenugreek:Fenugreek is an herb native to the Mediterranean, Ukraine, India and China.

Practitioners of Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine have used the herb for more than 2,000 years. Modern scientists now know fenugreek helps balance your cholesterol, triglycerides and blood glucose.

Fenugreek seed stimulates insulin release. This helps food sugars reach your cells properly. A well-known study published in the British Medical Journal divided patients with blood-sugar concerns into two groups. Group one received one gram of fenugreek seed extract and group two received a combination of dietary control, exercise and a placebo capsule for two months.

Group one saw more positive results for blood sugar, insulin resistance, cholesterol and triglycerides compared to group two.(3)

You don’t want to bite into a fenugreek seed, as they are also very bitter. But if you roast them in a pan for a minute or two, without burning them, they’ll taste a bit caramel-like. Then you can add them to other spices for a complex mix of flavor.

You can also make a tea with dried fenugreek leaves by steeping one or two teaspoons of the leaves in two cups of boiling water for five minutes.

Bitter Melon: Although it may be unknown to most people in the West, bitter melon has long been used in South America, the Caribbean, East Africa and Asia as food and a natural medicine. And scientific studies prove its value for treating blood-sugar problems.

For example, two studies show bitter melon could play a key role in helping to balance insulin in your body, which, of course, means healthy blood-sugar control.(4,5) And another study showed bitter melon had positive effects on the serum glucose levels of those taking it, following both fasting and eating.

Bitter melon is often used in stir-fry dishes. Cut the melon open lengthwise without peeling. Then remove the seeds and the white “pith” inside, and chop it like you would a green pepper. Boil the melon until the pieces are tender, and add them to your favorite stir-fry recipe.

Dr. Al Sears is fast becoming the nation's leading authority on longevity and heart health. His cutting edge breakthroughs and commanding knowledge of alternative medicine have been transforming the lives of his patients for over 15 years.

Dr. Sears currently owns and operates a successful integrative medicine and anti-aging clinic in Wellington, Florida with over 15,000 patients. Over the course of his career, he has developed his own approach to heart health, longevity and anti-aging medicine - combining the best of modern medical science with natural holistic techniques and treatments.

Comments

This article shows that sugar is not necessarily the problem. Deficiency causes the problem. Go read the Chromium part again…..
If you are eating a high processed food, rich food, deficient diet, you are at risk for just about everything!!!!!

In the job I do I need to keep my blood sugar and blood pressure under control at all times. I need some help to do that and would like to know what I can take as a supplement to help me with my diabetics and blood pressure. Can you help me? and where can I find what I need here where I live in Kentucky?

I have been reading your articles with great interest. I have type two diabetes and have long suspected that the tablets I take to control it cannot be good for me in the long run. I have been aware of the benefits of ciinamon and chromium for some time and take the chromium as a supplement by way of pills. I take the cinnamon in ginger tea I make with root ginger. I add a 2″ piece of cinnamon stick broken up to the tea and then brew it. I can get 4 mugs of tea from this over two days. You are doing good work and your honesty and good will comes through. Good on you….Jim Hislop